Railway switch rod connecting means



April 13, 1943. BONE 2,316,312

- RAILWAY swn'cn ROD CONNECTING MEANS Filed May 3, 1941' HIS AT'II'ORNEYPatented Apr. 13, 1943 RAILWAY SWITCH ROD CONNECTING IWEANS Herbert L.Bone, Forest Hills, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company,Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 3, 1941,Serial No. 391,780

3 Claims.

My invention-relates to railway switch rod connecting means, that is, tomeansfor connecting any of the rods which serve to maintain the properrelative spacing between the movable points of a railway switch ormovable-point frog with the switch or frog points.

One object ofmy invention is to provide new and improved connectingmeans'ofthe type described which will permit sufficient angular movementbetween the-switch rods and the movable switch points to prevent thedevelopment ofhigh stresses in the switch rods or associated parts dueeither to creepage' of the points, or to the motion of' the points whichnormally occurs when the switch isreversed.

Another object of my invention is to provide a connecting means of thetype described including a swivel joint which can be kept sufficientlytight to avoid the development of objectionable lost motion;

A further object of my invention is to provide aconnecting meansemploying'a minimum number of parts-which are inexpensive to manufactureand easyto. assemble.

A further object of my invention is to provide a: connecting means whichwill prevent undesirable tipping or rolling of the points.

According to my invention, each switch rod is provided. at each end withan' upstanding arm having a vertically disposedsemicylindrical bearing,surface which mates with the correspondingly shaped outer surface of'anoffset portion formed in a bearing bracket bolted or otherwise securedto the. adjacent switch point. The inner surface of the offsetportion-of each bearing bracket is concentric with the outer surface,and extending through aligned holes provided intheoffset por tion andthe adjacent-switchrrod arm is the shank of a. bolt, the head of whichis-rounded' to-form abearing surface which cooperates with the in-- her,surface of. the oifset portion of the bearing bracket. Each bolt isprovided, at its threaded end with a lock. washer and with a nut whichserves to. secure the switch rod to; the bearing bracket to therebyforma connecting means whichis free to swivel'in response-to the normalmovement of theswitch points, but which is prevented fromswiveling inthe direction to permit rolling of the switch points.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will becomeapparent as the description proceeds.

I shalldescribe two forms of connecting means embodying my invention,and shall then point out. the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a top planview showing arailwayswitch provided with a head and front rod connected with the switchpoints by connecting means constructed in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 is a front end view of the switch shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 3 to 5,inclusive, are detail views of various parts comprising the connectingmeans embodying my invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in'each of theseveral views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the reference character'A designatesarailway switch comprising, as usual, two fixed rails l and la andtwomovable switch points 2 and 2a; The fixed rails I and la are laid on tieplates 3, and aresecured to, crossties t in the usual manner.

Connected, to the movable switch points by connecting means embodying mypresent invention-areswitch rods 5 and 6 generally referred to as frontand head rods, respectively: These rods, except for theirend portions,may have anyconventional construction, and as here illustrated they aremade in longitudinally adjustable sections with an insulated joint inthe middle. The switch rod 5 is connected, through themedium ofthe-usual switch basket 1 with the usual lockrod 8, while-thehead rod 6is similarly connected to an operating rod 9, whereby the switch pointsmay be moved to their normal and reverse-positions. When the switchoccupies its normal position, in whichposition it is shown in Fig. 1;the switch point 2 engages thefixed rail I", and the switch point 2a isspaced apredetermined-distance from the fixed rail Ia. When, however,the switch isreversed, the switch point 2a then engages. the fixed railla, and the switch point 2 is spaced from the fixed rail l.

Acccrding-tomy present invention, each switch rodis provided" at each ndwith an upstandingarm. H) which ispierced'by a horizontallyextendingthrough hole iila, and which is provided on the'side nearestthe associatedswitoh point with a vertically disposed semicylindricalbearing surface lilb. Each bearing surface l0b mates with acorrespondingly shaped bearing surface 12a. formed on the outer side ofa rounded offset portion l2b provided in an associated bearingbracket l2bolted by means of bolts l3 to the switch point I or la as the casemaybe. The inner surface !2c of the offset portion I212 of each bearingbracket I2 is concentric with the outersurface, and comprises a secondbearing surface which mates with a correspondingly shaped bearingsurface Ma formed by rounding one side of the head of an associatedclamping bolt I l. The shank of each clamping bolt l4 extends throughthe hol Ifia in the associated arm Hi and through an aligned hole l2'dformed in the associated offset portion I21), and is provided at itsthreaded end with a lock Washer 15 and with a nut IS which serve tosecure the switch rod to the bearing bracket. As best seen in Fig. 4,the hole [Ed is elongated tov provide clearance on; either side of the,bolt M; The width of the hole 12d in th other direction, however, isjust sufficient to permit the bolt Hi to be readily inserted into thehole. The nuts I6 are tightened sufficiently to prevent end play betweenthe switch rods and the associated bearing brackets,

but not tightly enough to prevent the parts from swiveling about theconcentric bearing surfaces in response to creepage of the switch pointsor to the movement of the switch points which normally takes place whenthe switch is operated from one extreme position to the other. The lockwashers I5 serve to prevent rattling of the parts which might causewear.

It should be particularly pointed out that the swivel joint thus formedis such that it cannot swivel about a horizontal axis, whereby theswitch points are prevented from rolling. It should also be pointed outthat the parts of the swivel joint thus formed are all designed so thatthey may be made using forging dies and thus obtain accurate contourswithout machining.

It will be noted that the bearing brackets l2 associated with the headrod 6 are bolted to the switch points on opposite sides of the offsetportiou, whereas the bearing brackets associated with the front rod 5are bolted to the switch points on one side of the offset portion. Thisdifference in construction is necessitated by the fact that it isdesirable to secure the bearing brackets associated with the front rodto the extreme tips of the points. These tips are usually disposeddirectly over a tie, as shown, and there would be insufiicient clearancefor the front rod 5 and lock rod 8 if the type of bracket associatedwith the head rod 6 were used.

When point detection is required, the free end of the bracket l2 whichis secured to the tip of the normally closed switch point may beprovided with a spherical surface Me for the reception of a pointdetector rod connection, such for example as that shown in my Patent No.2,208,449, granted July 16, 1940, for Railway switch box connections.With this type of connection switch point creepage will not causebinding.

It should further be pointed out that the switch brackets which connectthe lock and operating rods with the front and head rods are soconstructed that movement parallel to the track transmitted to the lockand front rods from the switch points through the connecting meansembodying my invention will not cause strains in the parts and displacethe lock rod at right angles to the track sufficiently to throw the lockrod notches out of alignment with the lockin dogs with which theynormally cooperate.

One advantage of connecting means embodying my invention is that whilethey are inexpensive to manufacture, they provide the flexibility whichis needed to allow the required motion of the switch points withoutdeveloping high stresses in the parts such as sometimes occurs when anon-swiveling type of switch rod connection is used. and at the sametime they provide a joint which can be kept tight.

Although I have herein shown and described only two forms of switch rodconnecting means embodying my invention, it is understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein within the scope of theappended claims Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Connecting means for connecting a switch rod to a switch pointcomprising an upstanding arm provided on the switch rod and formed witha through hole and with a vertically disposed semicylindrical bearingsurface on the side nearest the switch point, a bearing bracket boltedto the switch point and provided with a rounded offset portion formedwith an elongated through hole which aligns with the hole in said armand with an outer bearing surface which mates with the bearing surfacein said arm, said offset portion also being provided with an innerbearing surface concentric to said outer bearing surface, a clampingbolt extending through the aligned holes in said arm and said offsetportion and provided at one end with a head having a bearing surfacewhich mates with said inner bearing surface and at the other end with athreaded portion, and a nut screwed onto said threaded portion forclamping said arm to said bearing bracket to connect said switch rod tosaid switch point in a manner which permits said rod to swivel relativeto the point.

2. Connecting means for connecting a switch rod to a switch pointcomprising an upstanding ann provided on the switch rod and formed witha through hole and with a vertically disposed semicylindrical bearingsurface on the side nearest the switch point, a bearing bracket boltedto the switch point and provided with a rounded offset portion formedwith an elongated through hole which aligns with the hole in said armand with an outer bearing surface which mates with the bearing surfacein said arm, said offset portion also being provided with an innerbearing surface concentric to said outer bearing surface, a clampingbolt extending through the aligned holes in said arm and said offsetportion and provided at one end with a head having a bearing surfacewhich mates with said inner bearing surface and at the other end with athreaded portion, and a nut screwed onto said threaded portion forclamping said arm to said bearing bracket to connect said switch rod tosaid switch point in a manner which permits said rod to swivel relativeto the point, said arm. said bracket and said bolt being so constructedthat they may be made using forging dies to obtain accurate contoursrequiring no machinmg.

3. Connecting means for connecting a switch rod to a switch pointcomprising an upstanding arm provided on the switch rod and formed witha through hole and with a vertically dis: posed semicylindrical bearingsurface on the side nearest the switch point, a bearing bracket boltedto the switch point and provided with a rounded offset portion formedwith an elongated through hole which aligns with the hole in said armand with an outer bearing surface which mates with the bearing surfacein said arm, said offset portion also being provided with an innerbearing surface concentric to said outer bearing surface, a clampingbolt extending through the aligned holes in said arm and said offsetportion and provided at one end with a head having a bearing surfacewhich mates with said inner bearing surface and at the other end with athreaded portion, a nut screwed onto said threaded portion for clampingsaid arm to said bearing bracket to connect said switch rod to saidswitch point in a manner which permits said rod to swivel relative tothe point, and means formed integrally with said bearing bracket for thereception of a point detector rod socket connection.

HERBERT L. BONE.

